Formal intent and eligibility
An eligible adoptive mother, including a self-employed mother, receives 12 weeks. At formal intent the child must be under 12 months: for a local child this is the court application date, and for a foreign child the Dependant’s Pass in-principle approval date. The child must be Singaporean; for a foreign child, one parent must be Singaporean and the child must acquire citizenship within six months after adoption. Employees need three continuous service months before formal intent; self-employed mothers need three continuous work months and lost income. The adoption order must be made within one year of formal intent. Those outside leave eligibility may check Government-Paid Adoption Benefit.
Entitlement and current reimbursement
Leave starts no earlier than formal intent and must be consumed before the child’s first birthday. Reimbursement is capped at S$10,000 per four weeks including CPF. Employers pay the employee during leave, then claim the eligible government portion.
| Adoption order | Employer-funded portion | Government reimbursement |
|---|---|---|
| First or second | First four weeks at gross pay | Last eight weeks: up to S$20,000 |
| Third or later | No separate first-four-week employer portion | All twelve weeks: up to S$30,000 |
Announced enhancement is not yet the current table
The page records a 2026 National Day Rally announcement that the Government will reimburse the full duration for parents of Singaporean children, within the reimbursement cap. It states that implementation date and eligibility details will be announced later; do not replace the current reimbursement split with an assumed start date.
Planning and protection
From 1 April 2025 dismissal during adoption leave is an offence and four weeks’ advance notice is needed unless a shorter period is agreed. Without agreement the 12 weeks run continuously from formal intent. With agreement the first eight weeks are continuous, starting between formal intent and the adoption-order date inclusive; the last four weeks can be flexible days before the first birthday. Flexible days equal four weeks × weekly working days, capped at six working days a week.
Related topics and services
Official documents and references
- Government-Paid Leave portal ↗ Government source
- Government-Paid Adoption Benefit ↗ Government source
- child order ↗ Government source
- National Day Rally website ↗ Government source